On the morning of October 12, 2019, a traditional culture and Sino-Finnish food sharing activity with the theme of “Appreciation of Artistic Works, Enjoyment of Sino-Finnish Food” was held in NJIT, which was also the first event of the first “Sino-Finnish Culture Month” in NJIT. Cao Xuehong (Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of NJIT), participated in the activity with great interest and shared the feast of culture and food with teachers and students of Sino-Finnish classes at NJIT.

“The flower pattern diverges from the center to the outside. In the composition, we should pay attention to the density of the lines. When cutting the wavy lines, we should coordinate our hands. Yes, that’s it. Cut while rotating the paper.” Under the careful guidance of teachers from the School of Art and Design, Finnish teachers from the University of Oulu and students from Sino-Finnish program studied the art of Chinese paper-cutting. During this experience, the Finnish teacher said, “We are very interested in traditional Chinese culture. I finally experienced the art of Chinese paper-cutting, which I had only read about. This is the first paper-cut artwork in my life!” The teacher from the School of Art and Design also presented her newly created works of art to the Finnish teachers as gifts, with the intention that more Finnish teachers and students could appreciate the charm of traditional Chinese culture and art and enhance the bond between teachers and students.

After experiencing the paper-cutting, Finnish teachers and students visited the Yiheng Restaurant to enjoy the Sino-Finnish feast. Teachers and students carefully prepared ingredients and seasonings. With a clear division of labor, the team cooperated tacitly, and the kitchen was busy. Cao Xuehong (Deputy Secretary of NJIT) with the Chinese and Finnish teachers and students prepared dumplings together and had cordial discussions with teachers and students. Finnish teachers learned through making, and rapidly mastered the skills. The dumplings they made were tasty. After nearly two hours’ preparation, Finnish teachers made traditional Finnish pancakes and salmon soup, while Chinese teachers and students cooked Chinese specialties, including pipa prawn, kung pao chicken, pickled fish, Mapo Tofu. All participants enjoyed the delicious food and shared the experience together. Teachers and students said that they appreciated Chinese and Finnish culture by experiencing the traditional culture and cuisine of both countries, and appreciated their enjoyment and responsibility as a member of the family of the Sino-Finnish classes. They intended to become ambassadors for the Chinese and Finnish cultural exchange and contribute towards creating a cultural communication bridge between China and Finland.